


you know it’s only love

by 00zens



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fireflies, M/M, canoe/boat date, continuation of one of my mini aus, first anniversary date, fluff... they’re so gross, mentioned jenle and jisung, set in palawan, them revisiting where they met and Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25686457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/00zens/pseuds/00zens
Summary: Renjun and Jaemin are back in Palawan— but instead of being forced onto a canoe together, this time it’s voluntary. To celebrate their first anniversary, they find a short tour that brings them on a river to watch fireflies.Also, a continuation of my mini renmin boat au.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin
Kudos: 25





	you know it’s only love

**Author's Note:**

> * title is a lyric from ‘fireflies’ by nct dream  
> * i wrote this for my one year with renmin / dream... it may be a little bit cheesy  
> * i’m just here because renmin has gone missing  
> * you don’t have to read the au first, but there are references that most likely won’t make sense if you haven’t  
> * i cannot link on ao3 to save my life, but the original au is under my pinned on my twitter @renminsung! you can find it under my completed aus ^__^  
> ** i hope you enjoy :]

“This trip is so poorly planned.” Renjun laughed, head leaning to rest against Jaemin’s shoulder. Jaemin couldn’t help but chuckle at that, wrapping his arms around Renjun in an attempt to keep them warm. It was relatively hot, but Jaemin could feel a slight breeze starting to make its way through the air, and being near the river did not help. 

“You’re the one who brought up coming here for our first anniversary— four days ago. That’s not a lot of time to organize a detailed itinerary.” Jaemin scoffed. Renjun shook his head. “Yeah, whatever. You gotta admit that yesterday was fun though, and sometimes it's better not to have plans. Spontaneity is our best friend.”

Jaemin let go of Renjun, looking at the boy with a bewildered look on his face. “Why’d you bring it up then?”

Renjun rolled his eyes, tugging at Jaemin’s shirt to get him to hug him again. Once Jaemin complied, resting his head atop Renjun’s, the latter replied. “Just to make conversation. You aren’t the best company when waiting sometimes.”

“Oh my god!” Jaemin exclaimed, jaw dropping in shock. “You are such an asshole. I will leave you to get on a canoe alone and I’ll find someone else to fall in love with.”

“You’re gonna do that on our first anniversary? Sounds like you’re the asshole, Na.” Renjun tsked, pinching at Jaemin’s torso teasingly.

Jaemin watched as the small group of people in front of them had begun walking, and he grabbed Renjun’s hand gently to drag him along. “No comment.”

Despite the last minute planning they were forced to do, Renjun and Jaemin both knew that the trip was going absolutely perfectly. Really, they had everything they needed; beautiful weather, an island with hundreds of different activities to try, and most importantly— each other.

When Jaemin scrolled past the ad for this tour, Renjun practically jumped to get him to go back and take a look at it. It sounded amazing: a short adventure on a canoe, rowing along a river in the night as fireflies began to come out. That was what the tour highlighted— the view of the fireflies in the trees, illuminating either side of the river. 

To them, it sounded like heaven, and they didn’t need much convincing to add it to the few plans that they had.

The couple walked hand in hand, eyes shining as they stepped onto the dock. “Do you feel reminiscent too, or is it just me?” Renjun breathed out, pulling on his life jacket. Jaemin flashed him a smile, leaning closer to the boy in front of him before breaking out into song. 

“Tell me is that deja vu?”

Renjun pushed him away in disgust, rolling his eyes on the amusement painted on Jaemin’s features. “I cannot believe you’re quoting  _ Justin Bieber _ and expecting me not to throw you into the water.”

“Oh angel,” Jaemin grinned. “You wish you were strong enough.”

Before Renjun could retaliate, the two boys were called over by a staff member to get onto their small boat and begin the tour.

“Hey, how are you boys doing tonight?” The tour guide smiled once they had settled in their seats. She looked sweet, and to say that she didn’t remind them of the tour guide they had when they met would be a lie.

Since Jaemin was in the seat with his back facing her, he twisted in his spot to flash her a bright smile. “We’re doing great, thank you. How are you?”

“I’m doing fine! You guys can talk quietly amongst yourselves, I’ll do my best not to eavesdrop.” The tour guide said jokingly. 

“Oh! Also, my name is Angelica. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll tell you when we get to the fun parts.” She added before turning in her seat, taking the paddles that were resting in her lap and using them to move the canoe further into the river.

Jaemin twisted back around in his seat to face Renjun, endeared by the sight he was met with. Renjun’s eyes were practically shining as he looked out at the water and the surrounding nature. Despite the dark that he was usually afraid of, Jaemin felt a warmth flood his body as he admired the boy in front of him. 

“Anything on your mind?” Jaemin tilted his head, removing his hand from his pocket to clasp Renjun’s. “I don’t know,” Renjun sighed. “Just feeling very…” he trailed off. “Happy? Yeah, I think that’s the simplest way I can put it.”

Jaemin’s eyes turned into crescents as he nodded in agreement at Renjun’s words, cheeks beginning to ache from his inability to stop grinning. “Do you remember what Jeno and Chenle wanted?”

Renjun scoffed at the question, tearing his eyes away from the moon behind Jaemin that he had been staring at. “You’re asking me about our friends on our romantic anniversary boat ride?”

“In my defense,” Jaemin started. “We leave tomorrow night and we haven’t bought shit.”

“Sure, whatever.” Renjun shook his head. “They just wanted something to decorate their apartment with, but I don’t know what they expect us to get. A plant? Palawan dirt?”

Jaemin laughed loudly at the bewilderment on Renjun’s face, throwing his head back. “You’re so mean to them. They’re in the just-moved-in phase, leave them alone. We’re already missing their housewarming party.”

“Well after all these years of having to deal with the tension between them,” Renjun shifted in his seat, eyes making contact with Jaemin’s. “I think that I don’t owe them anything. I’ve suffered enough!”

“Hey boys,” Angelica interrupted. “If you look to the right, you’ll see a small patch of light in the trees.” She gestured to show them which direction to look in.

Renjun let out a small gasp as his eyes caught sight of the fireflies, hand frantically hitting at Jaemin’s thigh in excitement. “Jaem, look!” 

As Jaemin turned his head, his mouth formed an ‘o’ shape at how bright the fireflies were shining. He wasn’t expecting the light to be as prominent as it was, but he could clearly see multiple patches of illumination in the distance.

“We’ll be seeing quite a few of them from here on out,” Angelica announced. “Keep an eye out!”

The two boys were too amazed by the view to say much, leading to a comfortable silence to fall over them. Renjun was the first to break it, hand gently tapping Jaemin’s arm to grab his attention. Jaemin tore his gaze away from the trees to look at Renjun— and if Jaemin didn’t know any better he would’ve thought that the boy had just won the lottery.

“Did you know they communicate using their light? For some species, only the females can emit light. It’s really cool, it’s not like they would speak— I think that’d be terrifying— but the way they glow in different ways to communicate seems interesting.” Renjun spoke quickly, a dead giveaway that he was more excited than ever. 

It seemed that he had been waiting the whole night to spill the facts he had done research on, which only warmed Jaemin’s heart. His eyebrows rose in surprise, caught off guard by Renjun’s sudden fun fact. “Actually?”

Renjun nodded quickly, eyes still fixed on the trees with the goal of not missing a single appearance of a group of fireflies. “Honestly, it kind of reminds me of us. The way we don’t need to talk to understand each other—  _ especially  _ when we first met, holy shit. We didn’t talk for almost half of the tour, but our brains were basically connected.”

After a pause, Renjun’s jaw dropped slightly, head turning to face Jaemin again. “Wait, are we fireflies?”

The question made Jaemin laugh, more out of endearment than mockery. “We can be whatever you want us to be, babe.”

Renjun visibly cringed at that, a grimace taking over his features as he looked back at the trees. “That was sappy, don’t say that again.”

Rolling his eyes playfully, Jaemin reached up to push Renjun’s hair out of his eyes before placing his hand back down atop the boy’s lap. Renjun absentmindedly grabbed onto Jaemin’s hand with his own before using his empty one to point to his left, another small gasp escaping his lips.

“Babe, look.” He paused, waiting for Jaemin to turn his head. “You took too long! It’s gone now, but a lot of the time the light that they emit blinks instead of being one continuous flow, if that makes sense.”

Jaemin’s brows furrowed, looking at Renjun in confusion. “Why?”

Renjun bit at his bottom lip, seemingly contemplating his answer before shrugging. “To be honest, I have no clue. I think I fell asleep before I could find out, but I’ll search it up when we get back to the hotel.”

“Huang Renjun not knowing something? Crazy, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that.” Jaemin teased, watching as the grin on Renjun’s face turned into a pout.

“Shut up! You’re the one who kept telling me to go to sleep that night, I listened to you because I’m a good boyfriend.” Renjun frowned. “I know,” Jaemin ran a hand through Renjun’s messy hair. “I was kidding. You’re the best.”

“I know.” Renjun mumbled, pressing a chaste kiss to the back of Jaemin’s hand before turning back towards the trees. 

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ 

Jaemin let out a loud sigh once they stepped into their hotel room, kicking his shoes off to place by the door. He ran wordlessly towards the bed, diving face first onto the comforter.

“Are you okay?” Renjun asked from behind him, walking over calmly to sit beside where Jaemin’s head rested. “I’m fine. Just full from dinner and tired.” The boy murmured into the sheets, not bothering to speak clearly for Renjun to hear.

“I’ll act like I understood.” Renjun replied, looking at the clock on the table next to him. “It’s almost midnight, let’s get ready for bed.” Jaemin groaned, body not moving as he felt Renjun stand.

“Baby, you can’t sleep in those. It’ll take less than twenty minutes for you to get changed and do your night routine.” Renjun spoke as he flipped open his suitcase, taking out a fresh pair of pajamas. Jaemin sighed dramatically before he pushed himself up, moving to his own luggage to get what he needed.

The two brushed their teeth and washed their face in silence— excluding Renjun’s fit of giggles when he caught sight of Jaemin’s drowsy expression through the bathroom mirror.

“What’s so funny?” Jaemin asked, mouth still full of toothpaste. Renjun shook his head in amusement, bending over the sink to spit. He straightened his back, looking into the mirror again to be met with Jaemin looking at him like he had grown two heads. 

“It’s nothing, Jaem. Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Renjun scolded playfully, washing his mouth and toothbrush off. Jaemin bumped Renjun’s hip with his, successfully moving the boy to the side to give him space to clean himself off.

Jaemin wasn’t completely sure what had happened after that, but soon enough he found himself in bed with Renjun’s head laying on his chest as an old rerun of Chopped played on the television in front of them.

Renjun traced shapes onto Jaemin’s clothed torso, eyes fluttering shut at the feeling of Jaemin running a soft hand through his hair. The pair laid there in silence, the only noise in the room coming from the TV.

“You awake?” Jaemin mumbled, unable to see Renjun’s face in the dim lighting. With his head still resting comfortably on Jaemin, Renjun nodded.

“Look at me for a second.” Jaemin requested, propping his body up so Renjun could get up more easily. “Why?” The boy questioned as he tightened his arms around Jaemin’s waist. “I’ll be quick, I’m feeling gross. Let me do my sappy speech, then we can sleep.”

Groaning into Jaemin’s chest, Renjun reluctantly propped himself up to make eye contact with his boyfriend in the darkness. “I can’t even see you, I don’t have my glasses on.” 

“That’s okay,” Jaemin chuckled. “Just listen.”

Renjun sighed before nodding, feeling himself get too weak to hold his body weight with his arms. He opted to sit in Jaemin’s lap instead, the latter letting out a noise of surprise at the sudden weight. Instinctively, Jaemin’s arms looped around Renjun’s waist comfortably as he began to speak.

“I love you.”

Despite barely being able to see Renjun’s face, Jaemin could make out the way the boy’s eyebrow had raised.

“That’s it? That’s the speech?” Renjun asked confusedly. “I love you too.”

Jaemin broke out into a smile, thumb running over Renjun’s bare torso under his shirt.

“I think it’s funny how we joke about us meeting being like fate, but there’s a small part of us that actually believes it.” He continued, eyes avoiding Renjun’s.

“I just think I’m lucky, you know?” Jaemin’s expression fell into one that was more serious, as if he was deep in thought. “Like, what if it was me that went to the bathroom that day? You would’ve met Jisung and fallen in love with him instead. Then I would be the loner out of the seven of us instead of him.” He frowned, shaking his head like he was trying to get rid of the thought.

Renjun chuckled at the idea. “I’m going to be honest, I don’t think I would’ve. Even if I did meet him instead of you, we probably still would’ve gotten introduced to each other, and things can unfold from there.”

Jaemin locked eyes with him, unable to stop a lazy smile from presenting itself on his features. “You really think we were meant to be, huh? Sap.”

Scoffing at the statement, Renjun rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I can feel you staring at my lips, kiss me already so we can go to sleep.”

“No need to tell me twice.” Jaemin brought his hand up to rest on Renjun’s jaw, silently asking him to come closer. Renjun complied instantly, leaning down to catch Jaemin’s mouth in a kiss. They moved in sync lazily, not needing to put much thought into their actions with the amount of kisses they’d shared over the long year they’d been together.

Pulling away to catch his breath, Jaemin opened his eyes to be met with Renjun’s dilated pupils staring back at him. He laughed gently, pressing another kiss to the boy’s forehead before tapping him softly on the thigh. “Okay, get off. We need to sleep.”

Renjun rolled off of Jaemin ungracefully, body landing a few inches too far away from Jaemin’s. The younger pulled him closer, laying down with his arms wrapped around Renjun’s waist. “Did you set alarms?”

Thinking for a second, Jaemin hummed before responding. “No.”

Chuckling at the evident need for sleep in Jaemin’s voice, Renjun nodded. “Okay, that’s fine. We can figure out our day tomorrow.”

“Good, I wasn’t planning on letting either of us get up to set one.” Jaemin spoke into Renjun’s hair, his consciousness already beginning to fade.

“Happy anniversary, angel.” Renjun mumbled, eyes closing.

Jaemin smiled at the words, barely registering himself squeezing at Renjun’s torso as a silent response before he let himself drift off.

**Author's Note:**

> they’re such losers, it’s amazing. thank you for reading!
> 
> twitter: renminsung  
> curiouscat: 00zens
> 
> take care! :)


End file.
